Infant&#39;s bathing device



D 1, 1937. a. KENNEDY INFANT'S VBATHING DEVIC 3 Sheet-Sheet Filed March 2'7, 1937 INVENTOR.

w W m MM E A w z #4 &102.958

Dec. 21, 1937. B. H. KENNEDY INFANT'S BATHING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. E/YJAM/N h', KENNEDY BY %M PM" ATTORNEYS Dec. 21, 1937. B. KENNEDY INFANT'S BATHING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 S %m MM m w m W A 44/ a z BY Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,10235&

PATENT OFFYICE This invention relates to infants' bathing devices of the foot actuated type for effecting movement of the dressing table to and from active and inactive positions overlying the tub 5 and alongside thereof and has particular reference to means for looking the dressing table in active position and for eifecting the automatic,

retraction of the dressing table from active position to inactive position upon release of the lock- 10 ing means. v

The invention has for its purpose an infant's bathing device adapted to be actuated by the foot for, moving the dressingtable from inactive to active position and for locking the same in active 10 position, together with means for automatically retracting the dressing table from active position to inactive position upon release of the looking means so as to allow free use of both hands for holding the infant during movement of the dressing table.

The invention has for a further object a dressing table swingably associated with the tub support for movement to and from active and inactive positions with means functioning to normally swing the dressing table to inactive position together with releasable looking means for retaining the table in active position with the said means under tension.

The invention further comprehends in an infant's bathing device of the indicated character, a dressing table swingably associated with the tub by means of arms pivoted to the tub support and to the table intermediate the opposite ends thereof and .with spring elements engaging said arms and normally functioning to Swing the arms together with the table towards the rear of the tub.

With these and other objects in view, the invention is set forth in greater detail in the speciilcation and di'sclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein several preferred embodiments are illustrated, by way of example, while the claims are intended to cover variations thereof which are within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an infant's bathing device constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the dressing table. in its active position.

. Fig. 2 is an end View of the same with partsi broken away to disclose the underlying structure. i

Flg. 3 is an end view thereof showing the de# vice in collapsed folded condition.

55 Fig. 4 is an end view with the dressing table in inactive position and illustrating in broken lines the dressng table in a position intermediate the active and inactive positions.

Flg. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the portion of one end of the device.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the device shown with -a modified form of dressing table.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the infant's bathing device includes a tub III which is preferably of flexible material 10 and collapsible, having the opposite longitudinal upper edges thereof anchored to the spaced parallel front and rear rails ll and 12 constituting elements of a foldable tub support which includes crossed pairs of end legs l3 and ll, swing- 15 ably connected by pivots !5, and to the upper ends of which legs the front and rear rails ll and !2 are Secured. The pairs of legs |3 and M are Secured together below the connecting pivots by bars IE respectively extending from the legs of one pair to the legs of the other.

The bathing device also embodies a dressing table designated generally by the reference character ll which is adapted for movement to and from active position overlying the tub, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and to and from inactive position alongside and in rear of the tub, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The dressing table comprises a framework including front and rear bars s and !9 joined by end rods 20 connected with the front and rear bars s and !9 at or adjacent the opposite ends thereof; A web 2| of canvas or an equivalent flexible material is stretched between the front and rear bars !8 and I! to provide a soft yieldable surface upon which the infant is adapted to be laid for undressing the same prior to the bathing and for dressing the same thereafter. The end rods 20 are located in a plane below the web 2| and below the front and rear bars |8 and |9 by means of the up-turned opposite ends 22 and 23 of the said rods which are connected at their free extremities with the said front and rear bars IB and IS.

The upper ends of the crossed legs !3 and H which are disposed at the rear of the device are each provided with an inwardly projecting lug 25 constituting a dressing table support disposed in a plane below the rear rail !2 and upon which supports the rear portions of the end rods 20 are adapted to rest and between which supports 25 and the rear rail I 2 the end rods 20 are free to pass during the movement of the dressing table from active to inactive positions 9! *vice versa. In the active position of the of said end rods 20 are disposed beyond the rear plate rail |2 of the support.

The dressing table I 'l is connected with the support for pivotal and' swinging movements with reference thereto by means of a pair of arms 26, each of which arms is pivoted. at its lower end as at, 21 to one leg of each pair of crossed legs I 3 and ll, the said pivotal connections being in axial alignment. The upper end of each arm 26 is pivotally connected as at 28 to a bracket 29 secured to each end rod of the table ll intermediate the ends thereof and substantially medially of the ends of the dressing table.

In order to provide means operable by the foot 4 i'or moving the dressing table from inactive position at the rear of the support to active position upon the support in overlying relation to the tub and for looking the same in active position, a yoke 30 is provided having a foot engaging bight portion 3| at its lower end and opposite arms 32 extending upwardly from said bight portion, the upper ends of said arms being pivotally connected as at 33 to the opposite ends of the dressing table through the medium of the bracket 29. Adjacent its lower end, the yoke is provided with across rod 33 which constitutes a latch element for engagement beneath a keeper 34 secured to the forward connecting bar !6 of the support for looking the dressing table in active position with the forward portions of the end rods 20 impinged upon the front rails I l and the rear portions thereof impinged upon the supports 25.

The dressing table is automatically moved from the active position upon the support in overlying relation to the tub to the inactive position at the rear thereof by means of a pair of torsion springs 35 each having an intermediate coiled portion surrounding pins 36 secured to the inside face of one leg oi' each; oi the crossed legs !3 and M with their upper terminals iormed into eyes 31 and slidably engaging about the arms 26 respectively and with their lower terminals anchored to said legs to thereby exert a rearward tension on the' arms 26 tunctioning to move the arms and the dressing table rearwardly of the tub upon the release of the cross rod 33 with the keeper plate 34.

The dressing table is guided in its rearward movement by the end rods 20 thereoi' slidably inpinging against the undersurface of the rear rail |2 to thereby efl'ect the elevation of the table to a forwardly inclined relation and which continues to swing upwardly as it moves rearwardly until an overbalanced position is reached adjacent the rear of the support when the table will Swing on the pivotal points 28 to the upstanding inactive position at the rear of the support. On the forward movement ofthe table into active position, the end rods 20 thereof are engaged by the rear rail |2 to permit the gradual downi ward sw'lnging of the forward end of the table as the same is drawn over the support ward pressure exerted on the yoke 30.

The device is also provided with a screen guard 38 having depending arms 39 pivoted at opposite ends of the support to brackets 43 secured to the upper ends of the legs [3 and. ll at the rear of the device and on which brackets are formed the inwardly projecting lugs constituting the dressing table supports .25. The brakets by downdressing table approaches the final stage of its movement to active position and tion the depending arms 39 ar( held between the trunnions 43 and the stop elements 42 by the latching of the cross bar 33 with the keeper 34. It will also be apparent that the movement of the dressing table from the inactive position to the active position overlying the tub stresses the torsion springs 35 andwhen the table is latched down, the springs areheld under tension for efl'ecting the movement of the dressing table upon release of the latch means."

Obviously, the dressing table may be of types other than that shown and described in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and an alternate form thereof is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein there is shown a fragmentary side view of a bathing device' in which the dressing table includes a rectangular frame 50 having a webbing 5| covering the same, in which instance the frame 53 is adapted, when the dressing table is in active position, to rest and be supported directly upon the front and rear rails I and 2 of the support thereby eliminating the supporting lugs 26.

What is claimed is:

1. In an infant's bathtub and associated dressing table and support therefor, a pair of arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to opposite ends of the dressing table and pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support, springs secured to opposite ends of the support and operatively connected to said arms for automatically swinging the arms towards the rear of the support and the dressing table from an active position upon the support in overlying relation with the tub to an inactive position at the rear thereof, and a foot actuated means operatively connected to opposite ends of said table and adapted when depressed to swing the table on said arms from the inactive position at the rear of the tub to the active position upon the support in overlying relation to the tub against the tension of the said springs.

2. In an infant's bathtub and associated dressing table and support therefor, a pair of arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to opposite ends of the dressing table and pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends of in which posithe support, torsion springs secured at their ends of the support and lower ends'to opposite at their upper ends operatively engaging .the said arms for automatically swinging the arms towards the rear of the support and the dressing table from an active position upon the support in overlying relation with the tub to an Inactive position at the rear thereof, and a foot actuated means operatively connected to opposite' ends oi' said table and adapted when depressed to swing the table on said arms from the Inactive position at the rear of the tub to the active position upon the support against the tension of the said springs.

3. In an infant's bathtub and associated dressing table and support therefor, a pair of arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to opaoaose posite ends of the dressing table and pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support, and means carried by the support for exertlng a rearward pressure on the arms for automatically moving the same together with the dressing table from an active position upon the support to an inactive position at the rear of the tub and for resisting forward movement'of the arms and dressing table from the inactive position at the rear of the tub to the active position overlying the same.

4. In 'an infant s bathtub and associated dressing table and support therefor, a pair of arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to opposite ends of the dressing table and pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support, and torsion springs secured at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support and with their upper ends slidably engaging the said arms and functioning to exert a rearward pressure on the arms for automatically swinging the same together with the dressing table from an active position upon the support to an inactive position at the rear of the tub.

5. In an infant's bathtub and associated dressing table and support therefor, said dressing table including a transversely extending rodat each end thereof and said support including a longitudinally extending rail at the rear thereof, a

pair of arms' pivotally connected at their upper:

ends to said rods substantially medially therecf and pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support, a pair of torslon springs secured at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support and slidably engaging at their upper ends with the said arms respectively,

and a foot actuated means operatively connected to said rods and adapted when depressed to move the table forwardly with the said rods slidably engaging with the said rail to thereby swing the table from an upstanding position at the rear of the tub to a forwardly inclined position and to gradually descend as the same moves forwardly to a horizontal position upon the support and said springs functioning to automatically move the table towards the rear of the support and to cause said rods to impinge against the said rail so as to swing said table on its pivotal connections with said arms to a. forwardly inclined position and to gradually elevate the same to an upstanding position as it moves towards the rear of the tub.

6. In an infant's bathtub and associated dressing table and support therefor, a pair of arms pivotally' connected at their upper ends to opposite ends of *the dressing table and pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends of the support, means for exerting a rearward pressure on the arms for automatically moving the same together with the dressing table from an active position upon the support to an inactive position at the rear of the tub and for resisting forward movement of the arms and dressing table from the inactive position at the rear of the tub to the activeposition overlying the same,

means operatively connected with the dressing table adapted to be ,actuated by the foot for moving the dressing table from the inactive to the active position, and co-operating means carried by the support and the foot. actuated means. for looking the dressing table in active position.

BENJAMIN H. KENNEDY. 

